Tales From A Linen Closet
by Onileo
Summary: The Akatsuki are on an undercover mission when they run into the Konoha kunoichi at a hot springs resort. Chaos ensues when they inevitably run into each other. Lemons edited out. :
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: This is now a complete series, with the individual pairings' stories in the correct reading order, followed by the final chapter. Lemon warning for two of the chapters!

Tales From A Linen Closet

Hidan could have slapped his idiot partner. No, bitch slapped him. Make that twice. If it weren't for his miserly ways, half the Akatsuki wouldn't be in this mess. But no, he just had to go and change their hotel plans at the last minute because the hot springs resort they were now staying at was having a special discount. To celebrate couples, of all things. That alone was enough to send him into a swearing fit, but on top of that, they discovered that a cell of Konoha ninja were also staying the night there.

And it got worse. Pein had instructed them to keep their presence hidden at all costs. He, Kakuzu, Itachi and Kisame were on an espionage mission in the Land of Waves and had to make sure that the Land of Lightning was blamed for their activities. So they had left their identifying cloaks in their rooms and were using a henge to disguise their looks. But a henge used chakra, and with enemy ninja lurking in the same building, using chakra became a major problem. He so very much wanted to bang his head on something hard and immovable right now. Preferably until the blood started pouring.

So Itachi came up with a plan. Duck and cover. A stupid plan, Hidan decided, when it would be much easier to kill them all and be done with it. But that would ruin the whole laying low thing. And there was no way in hell that they were going to stay in their rooms for the rest of the day and all night. He would have no doubt that by morning he would have killed Kakuzu for his stupidity and found a way to end his own immortality as well.

After a little discussion, it was agreed that Itachi would stay in his room, and the other three would head to the bar, Hidan and Kisame to get smashed and pray for morning, and Kakuzu to keep an eye on them and make sure they didn't screw up or spend all of their traveling money. The trip there went without a hitch, and they found a booth in a back corner where they could easily keep themselves hidden in the shadows.

About midway through their third drink low whistles and stares diverted their attention to the door. Making their way into the bar were four women. Kunoichi to be exact. Kunoichi from Konoha. Hidan bit his tongue to keep from swearing aloud. It figures they'd have the rotten luck of winding up in the same room together. Scooting deeper into the shadows and making sure his chakra was perfectly masked, he studied the women seating themselves on barstools and ordering drinks.

They were all pretty in their own unique way, he concluded. The one that stood out the most was a fierce looking girl with short, light pink hair. When she turned her head, Hidan could see that she had brilliant green eyes. Sitting on her right was a skinny blonde with waist length hair and bangs swept off to one side. Hidan smiled and almost laughed. She could easily pass for Deidara's sister.

On the pink haired girl's other side was a shorter girl with long, raven colored hair. Her eyes were a pale lavender and she wore a light blush almost constantly. She looked quite uncomfortable with her friends, and kept fidgeting and pulling her lavender jacket closer around her. On her left was a mousy looking girl with big brown eyes and her brown hair pulled up into buns on either side of her head. She had a calculating expression on her face, even though from what he could catch of their conversation, it was just idle chatter.

Hidan waved down the waitress and ordered another round of drinks, much to Kakuzu's displeasure. He watched the girls laughing and having a good time. After just one drink, the brown hair girl made her excuses and left. The raven haired girl started to go with her, but was pulled back into her seat by the pink haired kunoichi.

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Itachi walked solemnly down the hallway. He would have gladly stayed in his room for the entire evening, but the headache his companions gave him was driving him to distraction. It was keeping him from sleep or any other normal activity. So in an attempt to ease it enough to be bearable, he decided a soak in the hot springs was in order. The heat was sure to help at least a little.

He kept a sharp eye out for chakra signatures as he walked. It would be bothersome to run into the Konoha ninja when his head was pounding. A familiar chakra source flared up around the corner. It was Hatake Kakashi, the copy ninja. He was walking toward him swiftly with a civilian woman. Glancing quickly around for a place to hide that didn't involve using chakra, he spied a large closet at the apex of the hallway.

Using all the stealth he could muster, he entered the closet and silently shut the door. Crouching down, he peered through the wooden slats. He watched tensely as they rounded the corner and stopped mere inches from his face.

"But Aka-koi!" Kakashi whined. "How can you be mad at me? I barely knew the woman and it was years ago!"

The woman smiled sweetly at him. "You're still not getting your book back until you've done some serious making up." she said, waving the article in question in front of his face. She continued on down the hallway, Kakashi trailing after her, trying to placate her the whole way.

Itachi released a sigh of relief. He was about to exit the closet and continue to the baths when another chakra signature headed his way. It stopped right in front of the door and turned his way. Scooting as far back into the closet as he could, he willed himself to melt into the shadows. Thankfully, the closet was quite large and when the door opened, he remained completely hidden.

When the light flooded in, it revealed a woman silhouetted against the hallway. She was wearing a robe and her hair was up in buns on either side of her head. She glanced around the interior before putting her hands on her hips.

"Here it is." Itachi could hear her muttering. "You'd think they'd keep more towels by the springs. And there isn't even a damn light in the closet." Shaking her head, she grabbed two towels from the nearest shelf and closed the door. She took two steps down the hallway and stopped, turning to look at the closet door. "And why anyone would want to hide in a freaking closet is beyond me." she said loudly and continued toward her destination.

Itachi dropped his head in his hands. She had known he was there the whole time. Either she thought he was a civilian or was unable to engage in combat as well. Otherwise, she would have surely attacked him. His Uchiha pride wounded at being so obviously caught, he vowed to return to his room and not come out again until morning, even if his head split open. And no one else would hear about this little incident. Ever.

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Hidan was getting rather bored. And drunk. He wasn't completely out of it yet, but he had a hard buzz and the urge to go slaughter something in the name of Jashin. Watching the kunoichi across the room had pacified him for a little while, but now he was ready to go do something else. From the looks of things, they were about done themselves. The raven haired girl was sipping her second drink quietly, but the other two were very drunk and laughing up a storm.

"I'm fuckin' outta here." he said to Kakuzu and Kisame.

They nodded and he stood, making his way across the room and out the door without attracting any attention to himself. He was halfway down the hallway when he stopped. Where was he going again? Oh yeah, his room. Continuing onward, he had nearly rounded the corner when he felt a chakra signal on the other side. Every swear word he could think of raging in his head, he went for the nearest door and hopped inside. It was a closet, of course.

"What if I rub your back?" Kakashi asked hopefully as they walked along the hall once more.

"No." the woman said firmly.

"Your feet?"

"No."

Kakashi sighed. "I'll clean your room."

She favored him with a bright smile. "Now you're talking! Let's go." she said taking his arm and practically dragging him down the hallway.

From his vantage point in the closet, Hidan rolled his eyes and groaned. "What a pussy." he muttered to himself.

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"Girls, I'm going to get some fresh air." Sakura said, swaying a little as she stood up from the barstool.

"Umm...Sakura-chan. I d-don't think it's a good idea t-to go off alone." Hinata said. It was obvious her friend was more than a little drunk and there was no telling who might try to take advantage of that fact.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just stay here with Ino and help her back to her room in a few minutes." she said, making sure she didn't slur any of her words.

"I-if you're sure." Hinata said uncertainly.

Sakura gave her a confident smile. "I'm sure."

"Later, Forehead!" Ino called to her with a wave.

Making her way out the door, Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.. If Hinata really knew how drunk she was, she would never have let her go. She stumbled a little as she walked forward. She needed a place to burn off the alcohol in her system before she went back to her room. If Tenten saw her in this state, she would have hell to pay.

Looking around for a suitable place, she spied a door with wooden slats. '_Maybe it leads to some kind of public lounge or something similar.' _her hazy mind rationalized. Opening the door and stepping inside, she was disappointed to find herself in a closet.

"Oh. This isn't right." she said. "There isn't even a light in here."

She was just about to turn around and leave when a hand closed around her throat. Sobering fast, she drew a kunai from its hiding place under her skirt and managed to find her attacker's neck. Holding her weapon dangerously close to the vein, she questioned him. "Who are you?" she hissed.

Hidan started to yell at her, but a noise in the hallway made him freeze. Peering over the kunoichi's shoulder, he looked through the door to see a couple making out against the wall opposite the closet door. "Fucking typical." he muttered to himself.

"Answer me!" Sakura hissed through the pressure on her neck.

"None of your damn business, bitch." Hidan said in a low voice.

"I guess I'll just figure it out when you're dead." she said quietly, accenting her words by digging the point of her kunai into his neck. Nobody called her a bitch. Nobody.

Sakura made out a smile on his face in the darkness. She felt the pressure on her blade increase as he leaned into her weapon. Dragging her closer by the throat, he whispered in her ear. "You can't kill me. However, by the time you draw your arm back, you'll be dead." He squeezed her throat tighter until she wanted to cough from the pressure.

Long moments passed as the two ninja waited, locked in a deadly stalemate. Hidan glanced over her shoulder occasionally to check on the couple in the hallway. They sure were taking their sweet time out there. If things were any other way, he'd have killed all three of the people around him just for the aggravation.

"Oh for Jashin's sake, go fuck her already!" he muttered.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" she asked lowly.

Hidan grinned again, amused at her misinterpretation. "You're entirely too drunk to be fucked." he said cockily. "However, I have been known to make exceptions." Leaning in, kunai be damned, he kissed her. It was more to punish her than anything else. Maybe next time she would be more careful when she got trashed in public.

Sakura froze momentarily. Then her body relaxed of its own accord. She didn't know if it was the alcohol, the adrenaline, the situation, or a combination of all three, but whatever the reason, she kissed him back. A total stranger, in the dark, hiding in the closet. It was probably the most insane thing she'd ever done. But his lips were soft and warm and he definitely knew what he was doing.

Sakura felt the pressure on her neck lessen as she drew her kunai away from his. Getting lost in the moment, she leaned into his hard chest and opened her mouth for him. She felt his tongue slide in and twine with hers. Easily winning dominance, he explored her mouth. Pulling back a little, he drew her lower lip between his teeth and sucked on it for a second before he bit down, hard.

Sakura gasped at the sudden pain. Then a slight moan escaped her as his tongue ran across her abused lip, soothing the stinging sensation. This evidently pleased him, because he crashed his lips onto hers and kissed her passionately. Then he suddenly drew back and looked passed her shoulder out into the hallway.

"Finally!" he exclaimed softly. Grabbing her by the arm, he turned her around to face the door. "Now go sleep it the fuck off. And remember, I could have killed you at any time." With that he shoved her out into the empty hallway, closing the door before she could get a look at his face.

Wandering toward her room, Sakura had to convince herself that what had just happened was real. She just kissed a guy who was obviously a ninja without even knowing his name or even seeing his face. What was wrong with her? Surely she had finally snapped and lost her mind. One thing was for sure, no one was going to find out about her little trip to insanity land. Ever. Then she suddenly picked up the pace to her room. Her drinking binge and nerves had finally caught up with her and she was about to be sick.

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Kisame stood from his seat at the booth in the bar. It was time to go. His companion had informed him that he had reached his spending limit an hour ago. It wasn't nearly enough though. He had such a high tolerance that he barely had a buzz, even after nearly a dozen drinks. The kunoichi were long gone as well. And with them went any form of entertainment in the bar. So much for having fun.

Making his way down the hallway, Kisame tried to think of what to do next. Itachi was probably asleep by now. Hidan was likely off doing a kami-only-knows-what ritual. And he couldn't tolerate another minute of Kakuzu's somber company. That man just took everything entirely too seriously. Then a familiar scent caught his attention, interrupting his thoughts.

Interesting. He had no idea that Hatake Kakashi was with the Konoha ninja here tonight. And judging by the strength of the scent, he was close. Glancing around for a quick exit, he spied a closet door nearby. Surely not. It looked much to small to accommodate his large frame. Searching for more options, he found none. With a hasty shrug and sigh, he entered the closet and silently shut the door.

It took him all of ten seconds to agree with Hidan about Itachi's plan. It sucked. A lot. If they didn't have to hide from the Konoha ninja, he wouldn't be stuck in this damn closet that cramped his shoulders and made him hit his head on the ceiling. And the place reeked of human occupation. Just how many people were in this damn closet tonight? He picked out the scents of two women and one that was definitely Hidan. And was that...what in the world was Itachi doing in here? Probably the same thing he was doing, hiding.

Praying that Hidan hadn't done anything gross while he had occupied this tiny space, Kisame waited silently for the Copy Ninja to pass by him. He kept a careful eye on his massive chakra, making sure none of it leaked out to give him away. He watched through the wooden slats of the door as said ninja walked slowly passed, nose in a book and a satisfied look in his exposed eye.

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Hinata was having a very rough evening. First she passed out when they went to bathe in the hot springs because she overheated. Then when they went for drinks, Sakura asked her to stay with them instead of going back to the room with Tenten. She agreed, of course, then had to sit and watch while Sakura and Ino got embarrassingly drunk and loud in the bar.

After that, she was supposed to take Ino back to the room. That was going well until the blonde kunoichi ran off. Hinata searched everywhere for her, but couldn't find a trace of her anywhere. So now the resort had a drunk ninja on the loose doing kami-only-knows-what with kami-only-knows-who. When Hinata stopped off at the room to see if Ino had returned, she found Sakura in the bathroom, praying to the porcelain god with all her might.

So here she was, running the hallways again, in search of more towels. She had already used the ones they had in the bathroom to get Sakura cleaned up before she put her to bed. She would need more when she found Ino, got her sobered up enough to sleep, and then get herself a shower. She was hoping that she would find Ino along the way and would be able to kill two birds with one stone.

She found a custodian who was kind enough to give her directions to the linen closet. Thanking her profusely, she started on her way when she ran into Kakashi.

"G-good evening, Kakashi-sensei." Hinata greeted him.

"Ah! Hinata-chan. Is everything going well?" he asked.

"Umm, y-yes." she said, not wanting to alarm him. She nearly had everything under control, and he seemed to be in a great mood. She didn't want his evening to be spoiled by helping her care for drunk kunoichi. "B-but if you h-happen to see Ino, would you t-tell her I'm looking for her?"

"Sure thing." he said, giving her his smiling eye crinkle and walking off down the hallway.

Hinata bowed to him and continued on her way. Locating the closet moments later, she pulled open the door, grabbed a handful of towels, smiled shyly at the bluish gray skinned man inside, closed the door and started back to her room.

She made it two steps before she froze in place. What the...? Did she just see what she thought she saw? Surely her mind was overworked and she was seeing things. There couldn't possibly be an odd looking man in the closet. Turning her head just enough to look at the door, she pondered what she should do next. If she went back and opened the door and there was nothing there, she would feel like an idiot. If she went back and opened the door and there was someone there, well, she had no idea what she would do then. Probably faint from shock. If she didn't open the door at all, she would feel like a coward.

She settled for a compromise. Stepping cautiously back toward the door, she looked around to see if anyone was nearby in the hallway. Bending down she peeked through the slats of the closet door. She couldn't see anything in the impenetrable darkness. Waiting a few moments for her eyes to adjust, she listened to see if she heard any movement or breathing. Nothing. A little reassured, she stood upright and opened the door.

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Kisame knew she would come back and open the door when he heard her stop in the hallway. Curiosity always seemed to overcome better judgment. Trying his best to remain calm in the face of being caught, he searched desperately for a plan. He couldn't kill her, that would ruin Itachi's plan and he would be furious with him. So what could he do? Say hi and politely ask her not to tell anyone there was a S-class shark ninja hiding in the closet?

Taking a deep breath, he waited as she slowly overcame her apprehension and opened the door. When her paled lavender eyes met his yellow ones, he gave her an amused smile, displaying his sharp, white teeth.

"Hey there." he said.

The raven haired kunoichi gave him a shocked stare. She sputtered, turned beet red, and promptly passed out. She started to fall forward, but he reached out and grabbed her before she hit the ground. Pulling her into the closet, he shut the door behind them. Now it was really crowded in here. But at least his current predicament was solved.

Turning with her as best he could, Kisame switched places so he was against the door. Grabbing a couple of towels off the shelf beside him, he placed them under her head as he lay her down on the floor. He checked her pulse and breathing. It wouldn't do at all if she suddenly died on him. But luckily she seemed fine.

Kisame took a moment to study her before he made his escape. She smelled wonderful, like lilacs and the woods. When she had opened the door, he had gotten a full view of her face. She was sweet and innocent looking with her large lavender eyes. It was almost difficult to believe she was a ninja. And her waist length raven colored hair was beautiful. Reaching down, he ran a strand of it through his large, calloused fingers. It was infinitely soft.

With a sigh of unknown regret, he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and stepped out into the empty hallway.

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Hinata awoke in a dark room. There was a light somewhere in front of her, shining on her feet. Sitting up slowly she took in her surroundings. She was sitting in the floor of a linen closet. In a flash, she remembered the last few minutes before she had passed out. Looking a little confused she stood up. Hadn't she been in the hallway? And wasn't there a strange man in the closet? Or was there?

Picking up the towels she had been laying on, she stepped into the hallway. On the floor in front of the door was the handful of towels she had taken from the shelf earlier. She looked at the ones in her hands. If the ones she grabbed were out here, where did these ones come from?

Shaking her head in confusion, she picked up both sets of towels and shut the door to the closet. She still needed to find Ino. There was no telling where she had gone by now. She decided that whether or not there had been someone there, no one would believe her. They would all think she was nuts. She wasn't even sure she wasn't crazy. So she decided to keep this little incident to herself.

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Kakuzu stepped out of the bar, a small smile of satisfaction hidden underneath his mask. He had managed to get their outrageous bar tab reduced by a considerable amount. Arguing with both the bartender and manager over their heightened prices had proven quite prosperous. Maybe tomorrow he could work his magic again when they had to pay for their rooms.

Making his way down the hallway, he stopped when he noticed a closet against the far wall. It wasn't locked. Stepping close to it, he checked the hallway to see if anyone was coming. It was empty. With a smirk, he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. With any luck he could procure a few free "gifts" to take back to the base.

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There was no doubt about it, Ino thought to herself, she was hopelessly lost. It didn't help that her head was fuzzy and she couldn't remember what happened before five minutes ago. She was trying to get to her room, but all the damn doors looked the same. Weren't they supposed to have numbers or something? Wobbling over to one, she peered at the bronze plaque. Yeah, they did have numbers. What was her room number again?

With a sigh she gave up and kept going. Maybe if she kept walking she would run into one of her teammates. She turned a few more corners before she realized she was suddenly tired. She must have walked five miles in this building already. Leaning against the wall, she slid to the floor to rest. After a few minuted of sitting there, a couple walked by and gave her a condescending look. She politely waited until they walked by before sticking her tongue out at their backs and flipping them the bird.

With another sigh, she realized they were right. It did look quite bad for her to be plopped down in the hallway, red faced and confused. She spied a closet across from her. Maybe she could rest there for awhile and when she had sobered up some, make it back to her room. Clumsily, she climbed to her feet. Opening the door, she walked inside and slammed the door behind her.

She rolled her eyes. Of course the closet she would pick would be occupied already. There was a man with a mask and hood rummaging through a box in the back. When she slammed the door, he jumped and turned around, glaring at her.

"Hey there!" she said cheerily.

"Go away." Kakuzu said.

Ino pouted. Ignoring his command, she continued. "So, this seems to be a popular place this evening. Is there even a light in here? It's so dark."

Kakuzu gritted his teeth. This drunk kunoichi was aggravating him already. He had to get her away from him before she realized he was a ninja as well. Straightening to his full height, he stepped up to her and towered over her, glaring down at her with his piercing green eyes. "You need to leave. Now." he said.

Ino keep the smile on her face, but inside she was seething. She just hated bossy men. She was so glad that her boys, Shikamaru and Chouji, were so laid back. She was so tempted to give this guy a lesson in manners. A quick mind switch and he could be in a dress, covered in makeup, lounging by the girls hot spring in no time. That would really be a laugh. Unfortunately, she had no one here to protect her body. It would be far too dangerous a thing to risk on a prank.

Releasing a soft sigh, she leaned against the wall. "I would gladly, but I have no idea where I am or how to get back to my room. I would ask you for help but..."

"No." he said, interrupting her.

"Then you'll just have to deal with me for awhile." she said, slumping down to sit in the floor.

"No I won't. I'm leaving." he said curtly.

"What were you doing in here anyway?" she asked.

"Nothing." And with that, he stepped over her to reach the door. Making sure there was no one in the hallway, he stepped out and disappeared out of sight.

Ino, still sitting in the floor, crossed her arms and turned her head in a huff. What a waste of time. Alone with a guy in a dark closet and she never even made it to first base. Suddenly she felt a familiar chakra signature coming her way. Saved.

"Hinata-chan!" she called loudly through the now open door of the closet. A moment later, the dark haired head of her friend popped around the corner and peered in at her.

"Ino-chan! Are y-you okay?" Hinata asked. She peered nervously around the interior of the closet. It almost seemed as if she were looking for another person.

"I'm fine." Ino said, her cheeks flushing. "I just got a little lost."

"Umm...w-was there anyone else in h-here?" she asked with a little blush.

"No." Ino lied. There was no way anyone else was going to know about this embarrassing moment in her life. If Sakura found out she failed to charm a guy, she'd never live it down.

"Alright." Hinata said. "Let's g-go back to the r-room now."

"Great idea. I really need to go to bed." Ino replied.

Hinata helped Ino to her feet and supported part of her weight as they made their way back to their room. After they were gone, Jiraya dropped from the ceiling where he had been sitting quietly, chakra glued to the ceiling, observing the whole time. Rubbing his neck, he smiled. He was going to have to have a chat with Tsunade about the lax nature of her kunoichi. On the other hand, he had a wonderful new set of ideas for his latest book. Humming quietly to himself, he exited the closet, shutting the door softly, and made his way toward the girl's bath to continue his "research".


	2. A Measure of Discretion

A Measure of Discretion

"Goodbye, everyone!" Tenten yelled with a wave. Turning, she started through the damp tunnel that would hide the village from view. She would really miss this place. It had been a wonderful few weeks, teaching the ninja of Takigakure weapons techniques. Normally, the Hokage would never even consider such a mission, but the pay was great and Taki was far from being a threat to Konoha. As long as Tenten made sure that nothing more than mid-level skills were learned from her and relations stayed good, then an alliance between the two could benefit both.

Since the Waterfall Country was on the border of Earth Country, Konoha could keep an eye on one of its most hostile rivals. And the local ninja could definitely benefit from her experience. Their small numbers made finding good teachers difficult. So when they sent an ambassador to Konoha for assistance, Tsunade jumped at the chance. Things had been shaky at first, but after a couple of days, and several bruised egos later, Tenten gained respect from the nins, and they eagerly absorbed her lessons.

Now it was time to return to Fire Country. Konoha could only spare its weapons mistress for so long, after all. As much as she had enjoyed her time here, she was looking forward to seeing her home and friends again. And Neji. A light blush dusted her cheeks as she thought about her teammate. She'd had a crush on him for so long, but he never seemed to notice at all. She had dropped him several hints on different occasions, but he never got them. Or if he did, he didn't let on that he had. Tenten sighed. For someone with such incredible eyesight, sometimes he was as blind as a bat.

With these thoughts occupying her mind, Tenten walked briskly along the road heading east. Several hours later, she neared the border of Waterfall Country. Still half daydreaming and half keeping an eye out for enemies, she jumped into the trees to travel that way for awhile. She could only stand so much of staring at a straight road. Her eyes narrowed as her foot nearly slid on a branch. The trees here were different than in Fire. They were larger and their bark peeled and hung loosely everywhere. She found she had to concentrate a little more to keep her balance.

Suddenly a large amount of chakra flared ahead of her, then disappeared. Pulling up short, she stopped, only to have the bark she was standing on slip out from under her. She started to fall, and reaching out, tried to grab onto a nearby limb. Her fingers missed by an inch, and she went crashing downward. She had been very high up in the tree, and when she landed on her feet, she heard a crack and felt her ankle give way. Pain shot through her leg and she landed on the ground in an ungraceful heap.

Biting down on her lip to keep from crying out, Tenten calmly assessed her situation. The wind had been knocked out of her, and her chest was heaving, trying to regain oxygen. Her head was a little dizzy from the impact, making it difficult to think. She knew there was a possible enemy nearby. If she were forced into a fight now, she would be at a severe disadvantage. She needed to get moving quickly, either to hide or find help. But she was miles away from the nearest town, so the former was the best option. Pulling one of her fingerless gloves off, she ran a palm down her injured ankle. It was starting to swell and was very red.

Bracing herself against the ground, she tentatively tried to stand. As soon as she put pressure on her ankle, it gave out again and she landed back on her bottom. _'Great, it's probably broken. Now it will take me ages to get back to Konoha, and when they find out why, I'll never live it down. I'll be the only ninja on record to be injured from clumsiness.'_ she thought with a frown. So much for hiding. Maybe whoever it was would pass by her without noticing her presence. Concentrating, she tried to locate the chakra source that had distracted her and caused her current predicament. She couldn't detect anything, but her instincts told her that the person was still nearby.

Masking her own chakra, Tenten waited patiently. She couldn't hear anything, the woods were absolutely silent. Eerily so. Nothing moved either. Then, all of a sudden, she felt it. A pair of eyes were watching her. Whoever it was, was also in a lot pain. She could feel it pass over her like a wave. Strangely enough, it was a familiar sensation. She had the same feeling about a month ago while she was on a mission with the other Konoha kunoichi. On their return trip, Kakashi and the girls had stopped at a hot springs resort.

After a quick drink at the bar, Tenten had decided to take a dip in the springs. For some reason, the towels were in low supply, and since the staff were quite busy, she had to go get her own. She had just reached the linen closet when the exact same wave of pain swept over her. It was coming from inside. Curiosity overriding her common sense, she pulled the door open and glanced around. Whoever was in there was well hidden and obviously didn't want to be disturbed.

Muttering about the towels and lack of lighting, she feigned ignorance as she evaluated the situation. She could detect no chakra, so they were either a civilian or far more powerful than she. Deciding that letting it go would be better than ruining a well deserved rest, she grabbed two towels and closed the door again. It was probably some kid waiting for his girlfriend anyway. But her pride as a ninja wouldn't let it rest. Stopping a couple of steps away, she turned and looked at the door.

"And why anyone would want to hide in a freaking closet is beyond me." she said loud enough for them to hear. Satisfied, she stalked off to the springs for a relaxing soak. Now, she knew that whoever it was is definitely a ninja, and very close to her. She glanced around to evaluate her chances in a fight. Her pack and scroll were several feet away, out of reach. They must have fallen when she did. That just left her with the senbon in her buns and the shuriken and kunai in her weapons pouch and hidden in her clothes.

Deftly, Tenten slid a kunai out of her pouch and kept it behind her back. Taking a deep breath, she addressed the hidden ninja. "Who's there?" she demanded, hoping her voice sounded more confident than she felt.

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Itachi had just finished off the hunter ninja he was fighting when he felt another chakra signature approaching fast. Squinting his eyes slightly, he fought off the oncoming headache from using his Sharingan and concentrated on masking his chakra. Jumping into a tree, he waited to see what new threat was bearing down on him. The ninja had nearly reached him when he heard a thud. Moving in on the sound, he crept closer to its source. He was surprised to see that it was a kunoichi from Konoha. And she had somehow managed to fall out of the tree she was sitting under, injuring herself in the process.

Curiosity and a touch of amusement passed through Itachi as he watched the girl below him face the wrong direction and call out to him. The feelings never registered physically however, his face remained as impassive as ever. His cold Sharingan eyes took in every detail, the kunai behind her back, the deadly gleam of the senbon in her hair and her injured ankle. From what he could tell of her chakra, she couldn't be more than chunnin level. So how did she know that he was there?

It couldn't be a chakra leak. His masking technique was flawless. And he hadn't made a single sound when he approached. His head pounded unmercifully as he poured more chakra to his eyes, studying her again, making sure he missed nothing. She had yet to let her guard down, even after several long minutes. She seemed very certain of his presence. So much for hoping she would dismiss her actions as paranoia. The next question that entered his mind was, what was he going to do with her now?

The easiest thing to do would be to kill her and walk away. There was no way she would be able to defeat him in a fight. But it wouldn't be a fair match, with her already injured. He might be considered a wanted criminal, but his pride as an Uchiha would never allow him to sink so low. That was when it hit him. He knew her. An unwanted memory flashed in his head. She was the girl from the hot springs resort. After he'd been hiding in a linen closet from the Copy Ninja, Kakashi, she had come upon him. Even though he was perfectly camouflaged then, she had known he was there.

She had acted as if nothing was wrong, then had taunted him as she walked away. Never before had he been so frustrated and embarrassed. It was a good thing he had plenty of self control. If they hadn't been on a undercover mission, he would have taken great pleasure in revealing himself and watching her eyes widen in fear as she cowered before the Nightmare of Konoha. Or at the very least, he would have burned the place to the ground in the morning and walked away with a smirk.

But instead, he was forced to swallow his pride and do nothing. Now fate, with its twisted sense of humor, had seen fit to toss her in his path once again. Only this time, he wasn't going to hide in the corner like a whipped dog. After a long moment, the logical side of his brain pushed his vindictive thoughts aside. Before he did anything with her, he had to find out how she could detect him. It was a vulnerability he couldn't afford. Overlooking even the smallest flaw in his defense could eventually kill him.

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Tenten released a tight breath as she waited patiently. Whoever it was definitely wasn't in any hurry. She had just opened her mouth to call out again when a blur rushed by her, stopping a few feet away. When her gaze caught up, she gasped. Standing before her, in the notorious cloak of the Akatsuki, was Uchiha Itachi. She had only seen him a few times as a child, but there was no mistaking it. Sweeping her eyes over him, she took in his lean form, long raven hair, smooth face and glowing red eyes. He blinked once, and she quickly dropped her head to stare at his feet.

_'Don't look at his eyes!'_ she reminded herself harshly. Gripping her kunai tightly, she addressed him. "Uchiha Itachi."

"You know who I am? A pleasant surprise, but I don't believe we've met. Who are you?" he asked, sounding completely uninterested.

"Tenten." she clipped.

"Just Tenten?"

"Yes." She always hated answering that question. Being an orphan was hard enough without everyone looking down their nose at you because you lack a clan name. But he didn't mock her. In fact, he said nothing at all. He did, however, take a step toward her. Reacting quickly, she launched her kunai at him. He dodged it easily.

"Stay back!" she shouted. He ignored her command and continued forward. She launched a handful of shuriken at him. A flurry of movement later, he was still approaching her and her throwing stars lay harmlessly in the dirt behind him. He was really starting to hurt her credibility as a weapons mistress.

"It is unwise to continue doing that. You will only succeed in losing what few weapons you have left." he said, completely unruffled. Reaching up, she pulled two senbon from her hair. She raised her hand to launch them. Before she could release them, he had reached her and grabbed her hand. She squeaked in surprise, dropping the needles. Real fear set in as she realized just how easily he could kill her. Her eyes widened when he knelt down in front of her, his close proximity making her freeze.

He didn't let go of her hand, but instead, ran the fingers of his free hand gently over her swollen ankle. Unwillingly, color crept into her face. "It's not broken, just severely sprained. You should be able to walk on it in two days." he said quietly.

Tenten glanced up at his face, then quickly trained her eyes on his chest again. What was with him? He certainly wasn't acting like the ruthless, insane clan killer that he was rumored to be. Chewing on her lower lip, she tried to work out a plan of action. He wasn't actually fighting her, so she really had no need to continue attacking him. Besides, if she provoked him further, he just might kill her. Releasing a sigh, she looked up at his lips.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked.

Letting go of her hand, Itachi stood and took a step back from her. "I'm going to make you a deal." he said.

"A deal?" she asked. That certainly wasn't the answer she was expecting.

"Yes. There is a civilian house a few miles down the road. I'll take you there. I'm sure whoever lives there wouldn't mind letting you rest until you can walk again." he said.

Tenten narrowed her eyes. He was going to let her go? Surely it couldn't be that easy. "What's my part of the deal?" she asked.

"I want you to tell me how you were able to detect my presence twice without being able to see or hear me or sense my chakra." he said firmly.

Twice? Did that mean that her theory about him being the one at the hot springs was correct? Only one way to find out. "That was you then, at the resort?"

He turned his head away, even though his face remained as stoic as ever. "Yes." he replied. He suddenly had an intense desire to change the subject. "Do we have a deal or not?"

"I don't really have a choice." Tenten stated.

"You could always choose to die." Itachi pointed out.

"Then I guess we have a deal."

"Indeed."

Itachi picked up Tenten's pack and scroll and handed them to her. After she fastened them both back in place, he turned and knelt down so she could climb onto his back. Standing, he wrapped his arms around her legs. Pain shot through her foot when it bumped his leg, but she tried her best to ignore it. She awkwardly wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hold on. Heading off in the direction she was going, Itachi walked in silence. A few minutes passed in which Tenten waited for something to happen and Itachi did nothing but walk. Finally she began to relax slightly.

That was when the precariousness of her situation hit her. Here she was, in the middle of nowhere, being carried by an S-class criminal that was one of the most wanted men in her village. He told her he was going to help her, but what would stop him from doing kami-only-knows-what with her? And she just believed him like a little fool. More than that, by not doing everything she could to either capture or kill him, she was essentially betraying the village too.

Relaxing her grip on his shoulders, she prayed that he had lowered his guard as much as she had. Waiting a moment more, she readied herself for an attack. In less than a second, she had a kunai pulled from her weapons pouch and thrust deeply in his neck. As soon as the blade penetrated, Itachi disappeared from beneath her in a puff of smoke. Without something holding her up, Tenten fell to the ground, landing on her bottom with a dull thud. She grimaced when her ankle impacted in the dirt, shooting pain up her leg.

A humorless laugh echoed through the trees from somewhere above her. "As expected, but not very nice. Do you want my help, or do you want to go ahead and die for your village now?" he asked, his voice still a stony monotone.

"Well, I wouldn't be a very good ninja if I didn't at least try." she shot back at him. Crossing her arms over her chest without an apology, she waited for him, or rather, one of his clones, to appear. Glancing around to see which direction he would come from, she was surprised when she felt his breath on the back of her neck.

"And I wouldn't be a very good ninja if I didn't stop you." he whispered in her ear, making her jump. Turning her head, she looked at his face. She figured when she looked in his eyes the first time was when he caught her in the genjutsu he was using to create the clones, so it couldn't hurt now to look at him. He was quite handsome, with fine features and silky raven black hair. Even Neji had a hard time competing with his natural beauty. She frowned at the tired, pained expression on his face.

"Are you ready to continue?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts. She nodded. Instead of coming around her so she could climb on his back again, he wrapped his arms around her body and scooped her up, bridal style. A light blush crept onto her cheeks at her position. "It was fine the other way." she muttered, half to herself.

"But this way, I can keep an eye on you and not waste half the day remaking clones." he said. He continued onward again, and Tenten found herself clinging to the front of his cloak to keep from rolling out of his arms. She was so grateful she was alone. If any of her friends could see her now, she would die of embarrassment. She was a ninja, for kami's sake, not some wilting daimyo's daughter that needed to be carried around to keep them from breaking a fingernail.

The silence stretched on for several minutes, until Tenten became uncomfortable with it. Digging around for something to say, she figured she might as well press him for information. She might come up with something useful out of this incident, anyway. "So, why are you in Waterfall Country?"

"I can't tell you that. Why are you here?"

"I can't tell you that either. What is your current mission?"

Itachi shook his head. "I don't think so."

It probably wasn't wise to keep pestering him, but since he seemed to be taking her questions in stride, she couldn't resist continuing. "Where is the Akatsuki base?"

He glared at her and continued walking.

"Who is the leader of the Akatsuki?"

Itachi's lip twitched slightly. "I am." he said seriously.

"Really?"

"No."

Figuring the Uchiha was reaching his limit of tolerance and not wanting to get dumped on her butt in the middle of nowhere, Tenten fell silent. She contented herself with watching the rise and fall of his chest. Since it was a warm day, he had the top of his cloak parted, and she could see his silver necklace resting just above his mesh shirt. She started to ask if it had any significance, but stopped herself. Prying into personal matters wasn't part of her job.

She also noticed that even though he carried her extra weight, his footsteps were completely silent. And he was right. Even as close as she was to him, she couldn't detect any more chakra emanating from him than that of an average civilian. No wonder he was considered a prodigy. If she didn't know him by sight, she would never have guessed he was a ninja.

Itachi studied his charge as he walked. With his Sharingan activated, he didn't have to look directly at her to see every detail. She was lithe and petite, with fine bones and a pretty face. Her large chocolate eyes reminded him of a wild doe, untamed and alive. Her hair and clothes were simple and elegant, while still giving function top priority. Even though she had no exotic features, her natural beauty impressed him.

"We'll be there in a few minutes." Itachi said, interrupting his own thoughts before they gave way to unwanted feelings. "It's time to hold up your end of the bargain. How could you sense me?"

"You're in pain." she said.

"What?"

"You're in pain." she repeated. "I can feel it whenever you're close. It's like going into a crowded room and you just automatically know if the people in it are happy, sad, excited, or angry, even though no one's said a word to you. It's the same thing. Some people call it empathy."

"I see." he said. That presented a problem. If it were a jutsu or a device, he could find a counter for it. But how did you stop people from feeling, short of casting a genjutsu? The only other solution was to find a cure for his chronic headaches. But so far, that had proved impossible. Since they were a direct result of using the Sharingan and his slowly deteriorating eyes, he'd had to live with them.

"Why are you in pain? Are you ill?" she asked. She couldn't help but be concerned for him, even if he was an enemy.

"Not really." he replied vaguely. She thought that was all he was going to say, until he continued. "It's from a headache."

That would make sense. She had heard stories from Sakura about Kakashi having problems because of his Sharingan. Because he had his active longer, and relied on it more heavily in battle, it would be inevitable that Itachi would suffer more severe side effects. Even if he was an Uchiha. Her thoughts were interrupted when Itachi came to a sudden halt. Looking ahead, she spotted a tidy house nestled in a grove of trees. Turning her head to look back up at him, she smiled in thanks.

"This is it. It would probably be to both of our advantage not to mention this incident to anyone. I wouldn't want to ruin my reputation and have Konoha asking me back." he said. Looking up in surprise at his words, Tenten saw the slight smile that played on his lips. Was that a joke? A mischievous glint came to her eyes and she nodded her head. Then he did something that shocked her to her core. Pulling her closer to him, Itachi leaned down and kissed her.

Tenten's eyes widened. His lips were warm and soft on her own. His kiss wasn't hungry or demanding. It was enticing, almost daring her to kiss him back. Before her brain could warn her of her folly, her eyes slid shut and she parted her lips for him. He stroked her lips with his tongue before delving deeper, exploring the interior of her mouth before tangling with her tongue.

After a moment, Itachi pulled back and looked down at her with a smirk. He watched as a blush spread across her cheeks and she looked away. An unusual feeling of guilt went through him. Part of him had done it to create a bond with her to ensure her silence, but another part of himself couldn't resist tasting her soft lips. Without a word, he carried her the rest of the way to the house.

When they reached the porch, Itachi set her gently on her feet and knocked briskly on the door. Tenten stood on her good leg and braced her hand against the doorframe for support. After a moment, she heard movement from inside and the door was pulled open. A middle aged woman stood there, with kind eyes and dark brown hair that was just starting to gray around the temples. She gave Tenten an inquisitive smile.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Umm, sorry to bother you," Tenten started, trying her best to bow on one leg, "but I was on my way to Konoha from Takigakure when I injured my ankle. We were hoping it wouldn't be too much trouble if I rested here until I can walk on it again."

"We? Is someone with you?" the woman asked, glancing around in confusion. Tenten looked over her shoulder to find that Itachi was already gone. Embarrassed, she blushed and looked back.

"No. I'm sorry, I meant to say 'I'."

She gave Tenten a skeptical look and glanced down at her ankle. Motioning her inside, she shut the door and helped her to a chair. "I don't mind if you stay. It will probably be tomorrow before your ankle is well enough to walk on. It looks pretty sore. My name's Taka, by the way."

"I'm Tenten." she replied.

The two women seemed to hit it off right away, and the rest of the evening was spent quietly, with Taka cooking dinner while Tenten entertained her with stories about the Land of Fire. She turned out to be a very inquisitive person, and they stayed up long into the night, talking. The next morning, she set off again, her foot able to bear a little weight. Taka had asked her to stay longer, but she insisted on going, not wanting to burden her further.

Walking slowly down the road, Tenten couldn't help but glance around, a part of her hoping to feel a certain chakra signature. She sighed and tried to push thoughts of yesterday's incident out of her head. She concentrated on Neji, his long, dark hair, pale eyes and determined face. But the longer she daydreamed, the more his eyes darkened until they were a deep red with swirling black dots. Giving up, she shook her head. Was that one kiss powerful enough to sway her thoughts so easily? Evidently so. But no matter how treacherous her mind was, she was determined not to let a word about meeting Itachi slip past her tongue. Discretion is a virtue, after all.


	3. Midnight Sonata

Midnight Sonata

Hinata opened her eyes to see soft light spilling across the still room. Turning her head, she gazed out the open window to see the cloudless night sky lit up by the full moon. Judging from its position on the horizon, she guessed she had only been asleep for a few hours. Rolling onto her side, she closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. But the longer she lay there, the more awake she became. Giving up after several minutes, she sat up on the edge of her bed and looked out the window again.

As bright as it was outside, she could easily see the darkened buildings of the village her team was staying in. And just behind it sat the ocean, glittering black in the darkness. An expanse of rocky beach divided the two, like a barren ribbon running across the land. She could hear the gentle lapping of the waves as they met the shore in their eternal rhythm. Fascinated, Hinata wandered over to the window to watch the tide. The Land of Water. This place was so different from Konoha. From the way it smelled, with the fresh air coming in off the ocean, to the constant sound of waves that were never still.

Suddenly, Hinata decided she wanted to be closer. Dressing quietly, she slipped past Kurenai, who was sharing a room with her, and out the door. Her teammates' room was directly across from hers, and she stopped at their door to see if they were still awake. Everything was quiet except for the muffled sound of Kiba's snoring coming through the door. They had been traveling all day, on an escort mission to Kirigakure, and were wore out. They were taking one of the Leaf's village elders to meet with the Mizukage as an ambassador. The Land of Fire was on the brink of war, and Tsunade was hoping for a possible alliance with the Mist Village. Kurenai had decided to spend the night at this town after they had slept outside for nearly a week. It seemed to be a peaceful place, small, with no known shinobi around.

Making her way to the front door, Hinata nodded to the night clerk before stepping out into the sultry air. It was the height of summer, and the warm breeze coming off the ocean caught her unbound hair, making it dance around her face. Tucking her bangs behind her ears, Hinata set off towards the beach. The street was dark, and no one was around. The only illumination came from the moon ahead of her and the occasional light from a window scattered randomly down the street. After twenty minutes of brisk walking, the village was behind her, and the beach spread out before her.

Stepping out onto the shore, Hinata stopped and looked around. The moonlight lit the sand, making the grains sparkle. Shadows stood out from the rocks that jutted upward, not yet corroded by the churning water. It seemed as if she had stepped into an alien world, and the feeling was surreal. Looking back toward the inn, Hinata debated on returning to her room or staying out a little longer. If the others woke up and discovered she was gone, they would come looking for her. But it was so nice out, she decided to walk for a few minutes down the beach before heading back. Leaning down, she took her sandals off and dug her toes into the cool, damp sand. Holding her shoes in one hand, she turned south and started walking.

As she wandered, Hinata's thoughts turned towards home. Everything had been so chaotic lately. Her father informed her last month that he had found a suitable husband for her, and the wedding would be arranged by next summer. She didn't want to do it, and she had told him as much. They had wound up in a fight, and he told Hinata she would obey his wishes, or else. Upset, she had gone to see her friends. They sympathized with her, and took her out to their favorite spot. That was when she really noticed how much they all had changed.

It was nothing drastic, just little quirks they seemed to have picked up over the last couple of months. Sakura, who was temperamental on a good day, had become quite foul mouthed. She didn't even realize it, because it usually only happened when she was swept up in an exciting conversation. But she had made Hinata turn several shades of red with her language on more than one occasion. Tenten had traded her friendly expressions for more brooding ones, sometimes gazing out into the distance and not answering questions put to her with more than a look. Then there was Ino, who had made the most notable changes. The eternal teenager, she had suddenly gotten serious about her life, never slacking during training and dating no one. She had also taken to wearing a black choker constantly. Sakura had asked her about its meaning once, and she just blew her off by saying it looked good with everything she wore. Nobody believed her, but she was so closed about it, they let it go at that.

Hinata gasped as the cold surf hit her toes. She looked down to find that as she walked, she had edged closer and closer to the water. Looking back over her shoulder, she was surprised to see that she had already lost sight of the village. Coming to a stop, she turned toward the ocean. The corners of her mouth tugged upward in a smile. It was even more beautiful close up. The ripples in the water shone silver in the moonlight, contrasting with the blackness lying beneath it. The moon hung just above it, its illumination brighter than ever. Before she could stop herself, Hinata activated her Byakugan and, applying chakra to her feet, stepped out onto the rolling water.

She had always been drawn to rivers and lakes, and this time, she felt the pull stronger than ever. Feeling bold in the darkness, she suddenly had the urge to be one with the symphony of motion around her. She looked around one more time to make sure she was alone, then tossed her sandals back onto the beach. Pulling her shirt over her head, it joined her shoes, followed quickly by her pants. Down to her mesh and underwear, she was now able to move as freely as she wished. Taking a dozen steps forward, she concentrated on keeping her balance as she wandered away from the land. Lifting her arms above her head, she spun in a graceful circle, her long hair flowing around her like a gauzy veil. Then she began to dance.

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Kisame trudged along the empty road in the semi-darkness. He was tired and couldn't wait until he reached the next village so he could get some sleep. It was one of the few towns he knew for sure didn't have any shinobi, so he could take it relatively easy. Itachi was on a solo mission, gathering information for Pein, so he had some free time. He had decided to visit his home country, even if he was a wanted criminal there. If they tried to catch him, he would just kill whoever was unlucky enough to discover him. He wanted to see the ocean again, to feel the salty spray against his face and swim until he could barely move. He hated being in dry countries, they made him feel worn out. It rained all the time in Amegakure, but it wasn't the same.

He had just caught sight of the outline of the village when a chakra signature to his right caught his attention. What the hell? There wasn't supposed to be another shinobi for miles. He quickly masked his own chakra and stepped off the road as he assessed his situation. As far as he could tell, there was only one ninja. And whoever it was, definitely wasn't as strong as he was. Gripping the hilt of Samehada, he headed toward the source of the signature to investigate. If they discovered him and decided to fight, they would quickly learn that he was one of those nasty things that go bump in the night. He smirked and his heart started beating faster at the prospect of a battle.

Kisame made his way to the beach, keeping to the shadowed side of the larger rocks as he went. When he was nearly in eyesight, he slowed considerably. The wind was in his favor and he inhaled deeply, using his enhanced sense of smell to tell him more about this foolish shinobi who wandered around alone at night. Faint traces of woods and lilacs reached him. Mixed in with it was the scent of a woman. Interesting. It was a kunoichi. From Konoha evidently, since the woody smell was very similar to that of his partner. Slipping closer, he could finally make out her silhouette. What he saw slightly shocked him. She wasn't on the beach, as he expected, but out on the water. And she was dancing.

In the shadow of a large boulder, Kisame stilled completely. The scene before him was mesmerizing, and it burned its way into his memory, never to be forgotten. The full moon was directly behind her, bathing her figure in an ethereal light. Her every curve was outlined smoothly against the night sky, and that was when he realized that she was either naked, or very close to it. He let his eyes roam the beach until he saw the dark lump that he assumed was her clothes. Raising an eyebrow at her boldness, he returned to watching her. She was lithe and graceful, and her long hair flowed around her as she dipped and spun. He was certain that never again would he see something so captivating and utterly beautiful as the woman before him. No. In this moment, she wasn't a woman at all, but a sea nymph of legend, enthralling him with a spell.

She hesitated a moment, but continued her slow dance, keeping perfect time with the waves beneath her feet. He wondered briefly if she had somehow detected him, but since she didn't seem disturbed or alarmed, he doubted it. Besides, his chakra was masked flawlessly and the shadows around him were deep. Her pace increased then, and her chakra flared around her. It glowed a pale blue, giving her an even more surreal air. It started at her feet, merging with the water, pulling it upward to swirl around her legs. Higher and higher it rose, until all that remained unprotected was her head. The chakra bubble suddenly folded outward, opening like a giant flower, with the kunoichi in the center. Then it began flattening and spinning, forming a translucent dais beneath her. Kisame watched on in awe, impressed with the display of chakra control.

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Hinata was in trouble, and she knew it. She had been in the middle of a spin when she had seen the chakra on the rocks above the beach. She couldn't feel it though, and whoever was there, was an expert at hiding in the shadows. If it weren't for her Byakugan, she would never have known she wasn't alone. She immediately ruled out one of her teammates. She doubted even Kurenai had the skill to escape her senses completely. Luckily, she knew better than to stop and give her advantage away. As long as the ninja thought she was unaware, she would have time to come up with some sort of plan. To keep them distracted, she began using a little of her chakra to enhance her dancing. It made her more self-conscious than she normally was, but it was necessary so she could think. But the more she thought, the less likely her chances became.

She was alone in a foreign country. She was weaponless, nearly naked, and no shelter in sight. She could slip into the water and try to swim for the town, but she doubted that plan would turn out well. It was likely the ninja in front of her was from Hidden Mist, and probably had an affinity for water. Getting into the ocean would just increase her disadvantage. Then there was hypothermia to consider. Even though it was summer, the water was still cold, and without protection, her temperature would drop quickly. So she couldn't run.

If the shinobi in front of her really was a Mist nin, she couldn't fight either. Her team was on a peaceful mission here, and if she showed aggression, it could jeopardize everything. So what should she do? Walk back to shore, get dressed and act like nothing was out of the ordinary? As crazy as it sounded, it seemed to be her only available option. But that didn't mean she wouldn't fight back if she was confronted. Dipping low one last time, she ran her fingers through the surf and took a calming breath before rising and coming to a stop. Her eyes widened. The shinobi was gone. Was she imagining things?

Then she saw him with her Byakugan. He was behind her. How he got there so quickly, she had no idea. He had moved so fast, even her bloodline limit couldn't keep up. Spinning around as her eyes returned to normal, she came face to chest with the ninja who had been watching her. Craning her head back, she looked up into his face. He was at least a foot taller than she was, and he towered over her. Mutual shock registered on their faces as they stared at each other. They had met before. Hinata's cheeks turned scarlet almost instantly. It was him. The man she had thought she saw in the linen closet at the hot springs resort she had stayed at a couple of months back. Writing it off as a result of her imagination mixed with alcohol, Hinata had nearly forgotten the incident until just now. Either she really was crazy, or he had been real.

Kisame stared down at the innocent face of the kunoichi he had only seen once, but never forgotten. She had caught him hiding in a closet from Hatake Kakashi while he was on an espionage mission and had passed out right in front of him. After keeping her from falling, he left her there, going back to his room to spend the night thinking about her. She seemed far too sweet to be a ninja, yet her active chakra made the fact undeniable. Over the last couple of months he had wondered if the shinobi life had claimed her yet, and he couldn't explain the relief that came over him to know that she was still alive. Before he could stop himself, Kisame raised one hand to trail a finger down her rosy cheek. There was a hint of fear in her pale eyes, but she never flinched or jerked away.

Hinata stood frozen to the spot, even though her every instinct told her to flee. The man before her was a powerful shinobi, much stronger than she was. Her blood ran cold when she caught sight of his cloak. Jet black material with crimson clouds floating across it. He was Akatsuki. She was certain that should he decide to kill her, she would be gone with no effort on his part, and no way she could stop it. But as she stared up at him, she didn't see a single hint of malice in his yellow eyes. In fact, if she didn't know better, she would think he was in awe of her. And when he touched her, the gentleness of it nearly startled her. He hadn't spoken yet, so she studied his savage looking face a moment, then broke the silence with a soft question.

"Who a-are you?" she nearly whispered.

Kisame smirked. No doubt his answer would send her running for her life. Stepping even closer to her, he replied. "Hoshigaki Kisame. Who are you?"

Hinata's eyes widened in recognition. "You're Uchiha Itachi's partner?" He nodded. "I'm Hyuuga Hinata." she said in response to his question.

"You're pretty brave to still be standing there weaponless if you know who I am. Anyone else would be long gone by now. Are you not afraid of me?"

Hinata shook her head. Actually, she was terrified. But she wouldn't let him know that. "I k-know it would be useless to run. You're m-much faster than I am."

Amusement shone in Kisame's eyes and his smirk deepened. Intelligent, brave and beautiful. Whoever managed to capture her heart would be one lucky guy. Too bad it could never be him. His expression sobered completely at that thought. He had known all his life that he would be alone. And up until now, he had been fine with that. But as he stared into a pair of soulful lavender eyes, he found himself wishing otherwise. He wanted to know what it was like, to come home to a cheerful place where someone truly cared for him, instead of a cold, solitary room where everyone around you is constantly guarding their backs. Just one taste of happiness, his heart ached for it.

He must have been staring off into space, because the next thing he knew, Hinata's small hand was touching his face, her fingers running along the markings on his cheek. Startled, he looked down to see concern shining in her eyes. The expression on her face and the fact that she had touched him willingly broke his control. She would probably hate him for what he was about to do. But he was a criminal, taking what he wanted was what he was good at. Besides, what was one more sin compared to the ever growing mountain of crimes he would eventually have to answer for? Reaching out, he wrapped one massive arm around her waist and pulled her into his arms. Cupping the back of her head with his other hand, he leaned forward until he could feel her rapid breath on his skin.

"Forgive me." he whispered before he captured her lips in a hungry kiss.

Hinata froze as her mind tried to process what was happening to her. Kisame was kissing her. The very last thing she expected him to do. Panic threatened to consume her, but she fought it down. This was her own fault after all. She had seen the pain in his gaze as he looked away from her, and had wanted to comfort him. She never could turn away from someone who was hurting, even if it was an enemy. So, expecting him to be angry, she had reached up and cupped his cheek. But instead of yelling or jumping back, he kissed her. Desperately, almost as if it would kill him if he didn't. And he was still hurting. She could feel it in the way his lips roamed over hers, seeking her warmth. Unable to deny him, she fisted the material of his cloak in her hands and kissed him back.

Kisame felt himself melt under Hinata's gentle touch. Her soft lips moving against his, her scent, the way she was leaning against him, it was utter bliss. But as his mind was lulled into contentment, his body roared to life. Lust tore through him, and he felt himself harden with desire. Instinctively, he pulled her closer, and deepened the kiss. She moaned softly in his mouth, and Kisame froze. Guilt and shame washed over him. She was obviously innocent and he could take it from her as easily as breathing. But he didn't want that, didn't want to taint her sweetness with his blood soaked hands. Breaking their kiss, he released her and turned away. He took several deep breaths to rein in his rebellious body.

Hinata frowned at his sudden change of demeanor, worried that she had done something wrong. Her hand shook slightly as she reached out to him. "Kisame-sama, are you alright?" she asked timidly.

Kisame's voice was hoarse as he answered her. "I'll be fine. But you might want to go get dressed before I do something you'll regret."

Hinata's eyes widened in understanding. Nodding, she turned and walked back to the shore. Her breath came in short gasps and an involuntary tremor went down her spine. What was she doing? She should be finding a way to fight him, even if she was overpowered. He was a missing ninja and an enemy of Konoha. But she couldn't do it, even if her duty demanded it. Not after seeing the way he looked at her, not as an opponent, but someone he could care about. Reaching her clothes, she dressed quickly, and turned to see Kisame sitting on the edge of the sand, facing the ocean. His sword was upright beside him, the tip buried in the beach. Could it be possible that he was just going to let her go?

Deciding not to question her good fortune, Hinata turned and started walking back towards the village. She was stopped by the sound of Kisame's voice. "Hinata, wait." Turning, she saw him watching her. "Stay with me, just for a while."

Before rational thought could set in, Hinata walked back over to his side. What was it about him that made her want to do as he asked? If she had any sense of self preservation, she would be running in the opposite direction like a demon was on her heels. Was it the fact that even though he could have hurt her at any time, he didn't? Or was it the way he sat on the beach, large and alone, like the weathered rocks around him? She had started to sit down beside him when he reached up and grabbed her arm, pulling her into his lap. Hinata squeaked at the sudden change in direction, but didn't protest. Wrapping his arms around her, Kisame pulled her back into his chest.

Hinata blushed madly and her body went stiff at the close contact. Her head felt dizzy and she wondered if she would embarrass herself by passing out. Her heart was racing and she struggled to keep her breathing calm. Fighting off her panic, she focused on the ocean, on the steady rhythm of the waves that rolled up the beach, almost to her feet. It calmed her, and soon her head cleared and she felt herself begin to relax. Kisame didn't speak, so she sat in silence, marveling at how unbelievable this moment was. He was her enemy. He should be attacking her. She should be fighting back, not sitting quietly in the moonlight, sharing a reprieve in their mutual solitude.

Kisame released a long breath as he felt Hinata's body slowly soften and relax in his arms. He still couldn't believe that she came back when he asked her to. She certainly was an unusual girl. Anyone else would have run at the sight of his rough face. But she didn't flinch or shy away from him at all, not even when he had caught her off guard. He could tell she was nervous, but not really afraid. And she seemed willing to trust him as long as he didn't give her a reason not to. Unusual indeed. He stared down at her petite body wrapped in his embrace, the sleeves of his cloak nearly enveloping her smaller frame. As he watched her, a peaceful feeling settled over him. He reveled in it, wishing that this moment could go on forever. Unfortunately, reality had a way of crashing in on even the best of things. But when it did, he would still have the memory of this night, and he thanked Kami for that.

Shifting to get more comfortable, Hinata sunk deeper in his arms. She let her head rest against his chest. It rose and fell with his steady breaths, lulling her as she watched the moon climb higher in the sky. His body heat crept into her back, warming her and making her feel drowsy. A smile made its way onto her sleepy face. She had always wanted to do something like this. To have someone hold her as if she mattered more than anything else. Of course, Naruto's was the face that had inhabited those fantasies, but she had nearly given up on the hope that it would ever happen. He would always be in love with Sakura, even if she did refuse his advances at every turn. Pushing her unpleasant thoughts aside, Hinata sighed and closed her eyes. Even if she was never granted the happiness she desired, she had this one moment in her life. She would always cherish the feel of Kisame holding her, his gentleness, and the way he had looked at her when he caught her dancing. She sighed softly as her mind drifted off and soon she was fast asleep.

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Hinata awoke to the feeling of something warm and wet on her face. She opened her eyes, and immediately regretted it. The sun beat down in her face, making her squeeze her lids shut and groan. Then she felt Akamaru's large snout against her cheek, followed by another assault of his tongue. She pushed him away and sat up just as she felt her teammates' chakra signatures heading down the beach, coming her way fast. Her eyes flew open when she remembered what happened the previous night and realized that she must have fallen asleep. Glancing around, she wondered when Kisame had left, whether it had been as soon as she was asleep, or if he waited until morning. She didn't have long to think on it, because just then, Kiba and Shino reached her side, and they stared down at her, worried looks on both of their faces.

"Hinata! Thank Kami, you're okay. How did you end up out here?" Kiba asked. Shino leaned forward, offering her his hand.

After accepting Shino's help and standing, Hinata looked between her teammates. Should she tell them what happened? If they knew about Kisame being around, they would want to know details of the encounter, which would embarrass her to no end. Then they would probably go looking for him, and tell Hidden Mist while they were at it. Not wanting to cause trouble for Kisame, Hinata decided to give them the abbreviated version. After all, he didn't hurt her, and she doubted he would stick around long enough to get caught anyway.

"Um, I couldn't s-sleep last night, so I took a w-walk to look at the moon, and I, uh, must have f-fallen asleep." she said with a blush.

"You shouldn't be so reckless, Hinata-chan." Shino chided. "We are still on a mission and you never know when something could happen. Even in a relatively quiet place like this, you should be on guard for enemies."

Hinata dropped her head. "I know, I'm sorry." she said quietly. If Shino only knew just how close to right he was, she would be getting the lecture of a lifetime.

Kiba grinned and threw his arm around her shoulder, trying to dispel the tension. "Well, she's safe now, that's the important thing. We need to get back to Kurenai-sensei and let her know Hinata's all right. Then we need to get going. That old bat of an elder complained forever this morning about leaving so late."

Nodding, Hinata turned with her team and headed back up the beach towards the village. They had barely started, when she turned and looked over her shoulder to where she had been lying on the sand. As expected, there was no sign at all that anyone else had been there. If she didn't know better, she would have thought it all to be a dream. But it had definitely been real. She had just started to turn her head back around when a shadow caught the corner of her eye. It was a wisp of movement, nothing more. She stared hard, but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. She activated her Byakugan for only a moment before dispelling it. Turning back around quickly, Hinata smiled as she walked. So, he had waited until morning after all.


	4. The End of the Tale

The End of the Tale

The woods were quiet as Sakura and her team of kunoichi passed through the branches overhead, but it was not the serene quiet that brought smiles and relaxed sighs. It was the sort that gained furtive glances around and uneasy feelings crawling down the spine. They had made it halfway to the border of Fire Country when it started, but after stopping twice to root out the problem, they had to give up and start travelling again, unable to pinpoint a single thing out of place.

Now they were nearly to their destination: a caravan they were contracted to protect as it travelled to the daimyo's mansion. Since it was a simple mission through familiar territory, Tsunade had decided to add a training element. She put Sakura in charge of leading Tenten, Hinata and Ino. The kunoichi would expand their ability to work with unfamiliar teammates in the field.

Sakura slowed just outside the rendezvous point, the air suddenly tense and thick. Nodding to Hinata, she signaled the Hyuga to activate her bloodline limit and secure the area. Hinata paused on a branch, closed her eyes and formed a seal. Blood vessels seemed to sprout around her eyes as her lids lifted. Turning her head slightly, her face took on a faraway look as she scanned surroundings the others couldn't see. After a moment, she nodded.

"I see the caravan. Nothing seems out of place. The horses are standing relaxed and three men are beside it talking quietly. But I still have this feeling…"

"Even though everything looks fine, let's approach cautiously."

"I'll go first." Ino volunteered.

Jumping down to the ground, she straightened her clothes and pulled her hair down. Angling to the right, she met the road and followed it to where the caravan was parked. The rest of her team followed in the trees at a safe distance, ready to jump in and help at a moment's notice.

The men turned to watch the woman approaching, one waving a hand in greeting. Ino waved back as she neared, eyes roaming the carts and wagons, loaded with supplies and visitors. She broached the horses, giving the nearest one a pat as she made sure there were no obvious traps. She was just about to signal the all-clear to her team when movement in the woods off to her right caught her eye. She turned her head to see several figures standing on a wide branch just above the men. One in particular struck her as familiar, and just as she placed those hard red and green eyes, the wagon she was standing beside exploded.

The blast was deafening, and before she could even think of jumping back, a searing pain ripped through her stomach. A flaming piece of wood that was once part of the wagon caught her skin at an angle as it spun away, tearing a gash right across her middle. She heard loud swearing an instant before a figure landed right in front of her. Still half dazed, she stared up into Kakuzu's angry face. A gasp escaped her and immediately her throat began to tighten as a throbbing in her brain warned her that she was about to pass out…

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Sakura's heart dropped to her stomach as the wagon in front of Ino disintegrated in a fiery inferno. Her friend went down under the blast, and all hell broke loose. As the road erupted in chaos, she saw several figures in black cloaks emerge from the trees across from her, and the feeling went from bad to worse.

"Tenten, Hinata, get Ino out of there!"

The girls sprang into action, jumping down to the ground as a single unit before charging forward, Sakura in the lead. Black smoke began obscuring the area, and panicked horses fought their harnesses and screamed in fear as civilians went running everywhere for shelter. A second wagon caught fire, and it was then that Sakura spied Uchiha Itachi in the trees, flying through the seals for another fireball jutsu.

"Tenten!" she shouted as she pointed in his direction.

"Got it!"

Tenten darted off in a flash as Sakura and Hinata continued forward. When they arrived at the first of the wagons, they came to a fast halt as two figures blocked their path. The first she recognized immediately as Hoshigaki Kisame, Itachi's partner. The second was still obscured by the smoke, but as he stepped forward, recognition dawned. Her stomach flopped at seeing the silver-haired shinobi standing there, and her grip tightened on the kunai she had subconsciously drawn as they descended from the trees.

Ino was gone.

She didn't have time to speak, let alone stare, as Kisame started forming hand seals. Water erupted from his mouth, but before the chakra-charged liquid could make contact, a barrier was thrown up around her. Hinata held the jutsu for as long as she could, but she only had enough time for one, and the water swept her away into the woods and out of sight. As the shield fell, Sakura heard Kisame mutter something about 'taking care of the dark-haired one' before he went rushing past, leaving Sakura with her opponent.

Hidan met her gaze and she tried not to think about what she knew happened between them. Tried not to connect one of the greatest nights of her life with the man before her. But just looking at him brought it all rushing back. She held that hard body, pale despite constant exposure to the sun, kissed those sneering lips, ran her hands through his silken hair…

_'Stop it!' _she chided herself. He was a criminal, a murderer, and one look at the destruction surrounding them brought it all home. No matter what happened, or why, she was honor bound to put an end to him, one way or the other. Clearing her mind of everything but the battle ahead, she dropped into a half-crouch and prepared to attack.

Hidan just stood there, staring at her with his hard eyes and cold face, waiting for her to make the first move. He knew he looked every inch the imperious bastard he was known to be, but he couldn't help the churn of recognition that made his heart beat a little quicker and his breath come faster and shallower than it usually did. Despite their parting words, he had honestly hoped to never see her again. But fate was never denied when it demanded something, and here she stood before him, alone, angry, and more beautiful than she had been while writhing beneath him the previous spring. He watched her face with interest as she recognized him, emotions playing across her features. It ranged from shock to lust, then she schooled herself into a stoic mask of steel as she crouched and spoke.

"Hidan." she acknowledged him, her voice still slightly unsteady in spite of her efforts.

"Sakura." It came out warmer than he intended, a plain contradiction to his cool demeanor.

Then she was after him, fists blazing green as she closed in. It was easy enough to dodge her attack; he had always been quick. Bringing his scythe around, he aimed for her and turned it loose. She managed to dodge just before it would have nicked her arm and he let loose with a string of curses. Spinning in a circle, he used his sandal to etch Jashin's symbol in the dirt, all the while dodging the shuriken that came spinning at him. She lunged again, and he countered, drawing blood from her arm as it created a large gash in her bicep. With a hiss she jumped back, sending chakra to the wound immediately. He met her eyes again and grinned wickedly as he raised the scythe to his lips. He stopped short as her gaze pierced him, and the churning in his stomach increased.

For the first time in his life, he didn't want to kill his opponent.

He didn't know if it was the look in her eyes, a mixture of fear, determination and sadness, or if it was the night they shared together. But despite Jashin's teachings and his own hatred of everyone, he didn't want to see her gone from life. She was too vibrant, too pure. So, he did the only thing he could do. He let her kill him. Maybe Jashin would actually let him die for his disobedience, and that wouldn't be so bad.

He had to give her points for ruthlessness; when it came, it was fast. She took advantage of his sudden hesitation to attack, her kunai sliding into his lung as a jolt of chakra hit his heart. It stuttered painfully for several seconds before coming to a halt. His breath faltered at nearly the same time, and the pain ripping through his entire chest was nearly as delightful as anything he had created for himself in the past. She was still right on top of him as he started to fall backwards, one hand coming up to brush her cheek. He gave her a genuine smile and watched actual tears well up in her eyes as she returned the gesture. No one had ever cried for him before. Familiar blackness curled around his awareness, and he welcomed it, at peace with his decision to let her live...

It felt like an eternity had passed, but at last Hidan's eyelids opened, and he blinked rapidly to clear them and regain his bearings. The remains of the caravan were still smoldering nearby, anyone that might have survived long gone. He was still in the spot where he had fallen, Jashin's circle still visible in the dirt. Sakura was nowhere to be seen.

With a knowing smirk he rose to his feet and set off for the rendezvous point they had set up before the mission. Kakuzu would bitch at him for failing to kill her, but he didn't care. It would be worth dying a thousand times over when spring arrived and he was allowed to chase after his green-eyed temptress again…

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One minute Tenten was hurling shuriken and kunai into the tree line, the next she was standing in a field of tall, white daisies, the sky overhead an impossibly deep blue dotted with fluffy white clouds. The smoking caravan was gone, along with her team, nothing but the flowers clear to the horizon. But as empty as her surroundings appeared, she sensed that she wasn't alone. Turning in a slow circle, she tried to locate the presence, seeing nothing. Then a wave of chakra rolled over her, and she spun around to find herself looking into a familiar pair of red eyes. Taking a step back, she nodded in greeting.

"Uchiha Itachi."

"Tenten. I see that your ankle healed, as expected."

She nodded, amazed that he would even remember her, let alone their previous encounter. "Where are we?"

"A genjutsu. I apologize, but I had to restrain you."

His chivalry was unexpected as well, and she found a smile planting itself on her face. She was fairly certain no other enemy shinobi would treat her this way when she was cornered and under their control. And this made the second time that he treated her more than fairly when she was at a disadvantage.

"Hey, you do what you gotta do, right? I'm just grateful it's not the other one." she said cheerily.

"Other one?"

"Yeah. You know, the Tsukiyomi."

The corner of Itachi's lips twitched in amusement. "I see."

She looked around, fingers flexing in the sunshine that she could have sworn was real as it heated the skin on her arms. "So, how long am I going to be here?"

"A few more minutes. Our mission is nearly complete. I will be gone by the time you awaken."

With a nod of understanding, Tenten sat down in the flowers. If he were going to hurt her, he would have done it before he revealed himself. And he had taken the trouble to create a pleasant environment for her, when he could have just locked her in the darkness until she woke up. She might as well enjoy it. The fragrant scent she was sure actually belonged to roses surrounded her, and a genuine smile tugged at her lips. Patting the ground beside her, she beckoned Itachi over. "Won't you join me, Itachi-san?"

He gave her a stare that was a cross between distrust and disbelief.

"Don't you think that would be rather improper?"

She laughed, and he couldn't help but enjoy the carefree sound as it rolled over him. "This is all in my head, right? So I'm entitled to do as I like. You might as well enjoy it with me."

Giving in to her innocent temptation, he came to her side and gingerly lowered himself to the ground. Tenten shifted until she had her back perpendicular to his legs, and then laid her head in his lap. Itachi stiffened as she wiggled to get comfortable, but she only sighed in contentment and closed her eyes as a warm breeze wafted over them.

He studied her peaceful features for several long moments before the question suddenly burning his curiosity alive found a voice. "Aren't you worried about your teammates?"

She opened her eyes, and the sincerity of her chocolate gaze overwhelmed him. "Of course I am. But I am not skilled enough to break this jutsu. So nothing I do right now will change the outcome of their battles."

"You aren't going to try?"

"I did just now. Twice."

He hummed a small noise of assent before he took her earlier advice to heart. This was such an unusual situation for him, and she trusted him so easily while under his control that he found her good mood infectious. She hadn't even been afraid to look him in the eyes, a foolish act, but one he found himself liking nonetheless. Feeling his gaze on her, her lids lifted and once again her dark irises reminded him of an innocent doe. She mirrored his intent look as he took in every detail of her face. That is, until his attention was drawn to the dulling whiteness of the clouds that were passing overhead.

"It is time for you to wake up." he stated, forcing the sudden twinge of regret from his voice. He had never met someone so innately happy, and he would not have minded spending a few more moments with her.

She plucked a daisy from beside her, twirling the stem in her fingers as she noticed the details beginning to fade from the petals. Sitting up, she turned to face Itachi, who was watching her with an unreadable expression. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his, enjoying his surprise before pulling back to give him a genuine smile.

"Take care of yourself, Uchiha Itachi."

She started to rise and walk away, but before she could get her legs under her, his hand shot out and pulled her back down to him. His lips were warm and soft as he kissed her, and she swore she could actually taste him. She held on to the feeling until the sky darkened and the flowers disappeared and all that was left was his lips on hers.

Then she lost consciousness, or regained it, whichever way it went, to find herself lying on the ground. Voices and panic in the distance told her she was back in her correct state of mind, regardless. Gaining her feet quickly, she returned to help the civilians, knowing too well that she had no chance of catching up to the Akatsuki. Itachi was probably already moving out by the time she realized she was standing in a field of flowers instead of the forest.

But who would have thought that she and Uchiha Itachi, sworn enemies by loyalty, would share such a moment of peace with each other?

Bringing her fingers to her lips, she relished the tingle still on them before her smile faded away completely and her thoughts turned toward the caravan and her teammates. She just prayed that they were still alive…

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In an abandoned hunting camp several miles away, Ino lay unconscious on a dusty cot, her impromptu rescuer sitting next to her on the lumpy mattress. Kakuzu let his fingers trail over the reddened flesh of her stomach, held together by the same thick black threads that covered his body. The wound crossed over her other scar, the thin white line that she had been so self-conscious about before. Anger flashed over him and he drew his hand away. She had been nearly perfect, and he had ruined her. He never should have touched her, not the first time, and not now. But with her doomed medic nin engaged in battle with his partner, she would have died if he left her alone. The thought of leaving before she woke crossed his mind. Then he wouldn't have to see the horror on her face when she discovered what he had done.

He tensed to stand when her arm snaked out and grabbed his, halting his movement. Then her haunting blue eyes were open and he knew it was too late.

"Kaku…" She stopped and squeezed her eyes shut, as if she were waiting for something to happen. Apparently, she had had more than one slip that activated his jutsu. When nothing happened, she ventured to open one eyelid and peer up at him in confusion. Taking a deep breath, she pushed an invisible limit.

"Kakuzu?"

Her thin voice drifted up to him, weakened by her forced sleep. Nodding in response, he eased himself back down to her side. He couldn't stand the lazy smile that ghosted across her lips at her success. She tried to sit up, only to wince in pain with the effort. His hand was on her shoulder before he could stop himself, pushing her gently back down. Feeling for her wound with her free hand, she slid her fingers under her shirt to where the pain was radiating from. He watched her face twist in puzzlement as she brushed over the heavy stitches, sticky with plasma.

"It was the only way I could fix it. It's permanent; the blow you took from that jutsu seared your skin and the wound wouldn't have closed on its own."

She was watching his face as her fingers left her stomach and moved to her throat to find the comforting weight of her choker was no longer there.

"I had to remove it. The reason you passed out was because I showed up just after you were injured."

That was also the reason Ino had a screaming headache now. She had managed to school her thoughts of him, to the point where in the last year she had only had two incidences of blacking out. Thankfully, both times she was alone, so no one witnessed her embarrassing fainting spells. At last she found her voice again and gave him a small smile.

"Could you please…?"

With a nod, Kakuzu extended an arm and watched the threads around his forearm loosen enough to allow others to slip through. Three twisted around each other, weaving in and out, until he had a good two foot section of braid. She lifted her chin so he had access to her neck, silently sucking in her breath as she felt the threads wrap around her throat. Kakuzu knotted it snugly in place before snapping off the excess, leaving her with an intimate reminder of him once more.

"No jutsu this time?"

"No."

Realizing that her hand was still on his arm, she dropped it, surprised he hadn't taken offence to her touching him for so long. But then again, she was probably the only person in the world who had touched him for longer. Dropping that thought before it made her blush, she frowned as he stood again and turned toward the door.

"Are you leaving?"

"I must return and complete my mission." he said without turning around.

"Can I come with you?" Ino asked, hating the way her voice sounded more like a child's than the woman she was proud to be. But she was so tired of being lonely, tired of keeping her secret, tired of everything but him.

He turned back to her, surprised at her request. Her liquid blue eyes bore into him, pleading, and he actually considered it for a moment. Then his infallible common sense intervened, reminding him that his current lifestyle was far too unpredictable. She would follow him around, get attached to him, then one of them would die in front of the other in a fateful encounter with someone more powerful than either of them. Better to just avoid the whole mess in the first place.

"No." he finally replied, harsher than he intended to.

Her voice grew soft as her fingers found the choker around her neck, absently running its length. "You don't know what it's been like, knowing you are there in my mind, in my dreams, and not even being able to think about it. It's the cruelest thing anyone has ever done to me."

Kakuzu stayed silent, drinking her in with his turbulent eyes before walking off, leaving the sagging door open behind him. He pretended that her pleading hadn't affected him, keeping his steps slow and measured, but he couldn't help but feel as if he were having a problem with his heart. The one that had beat with a cold mechanical rhythm for so long, only losing its steadiness once before, when he first met her. But it was for the best, no matter how much it hurt her at the moment. He would eventually fade in her mind, replaced by another who was more deserving of her than he. An old adage rose in his mind, passing his lips before he could stop it.

"If you love them, let them go…"

Snorting at his uncharacteristic sentimentality, he shook his head before rounding the last bend in the creek leading to the road.

Ino watched his retreating back, blaming her watery eyes on the pain running through her stomach. She was not Sakura, she did not cry over anyone, especially someone stupid enough to reject her. Besides, like her mother used to tell her when she came home complaining about whichever boyfriend had dumped her,

'If you love them, let them go. If they come back, they're yours forever. If not, they were never.'

None of them had ever come back, until now. Kakuzu had gone out of his way to save her life, even indulged her stupid whim for another choker when he was probably already low on chakra. She ran a hand over her stomach and her newest memento of him, ignoring the pain in favor of feeling the smoothness of the threads embedded in her flesh. If he came back once, he would come back again. Next time, she would be the one to sew herself into him. Again and again until you couldn't tell one from the other. Feeling a bit insane over the sentiment, but comforted nonetheless, she blinked her eyes hard to clear them, a smile softening her face as she finally thought about him without getting dizzy.

"Until forever then…"

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Hinata was thrown head over heels into the forest, the force of the water knocking her through brush and over the ground until an oak tree halted her progress. With a hard thud she went down, grateful that the water receded shortly after. Climbing to her feet as fast as she could, she spit fluid out of her mouth, grimacing as she tasted blood mixed with the water. She had no doubt he would be coming for her any second now.

She had known who she was facing as soon as she saw him. But she had no doubts about his sincerity in this fight. They might have met before, might have kissed on the beach under the moonlight, but this was a mission, and all other considerations were thrown out the window.

Activating her Byakugan she watched his approach; slow, measured steps counting down the time to her doom. She had no doubt he could defeat her. He was an Akatsuki, and she was just now completing her training for jounin. Dropping into the gentle fist stance, she waited for him to clear the final tree between them before she dove forward, hoping to get under his sword's guard and land a blow before he had a chance to strike.

Kisame barely had time to react before she was upon him, fingers glowing with chakra. He knew her clan's abilities, and what she intended to do with them. He sidestepped the first blow, grabbing her wrist and spinning her around until her back was to him. Capturing her other wrist, he crossed her arms over her chest, forcing her against him. She struggled to free herself for several minutes, then realizing it was useless, fell still. He didn't loosen his hold with her acquiescence, instead dropping his head to let his breath fan across her neck as he whispered in her ear.

"Did you miss me?"

He barely caught the subtle nod of her head before she answered. "Does it matter? We're enemies."

"It matters to me."

She could see his face with her Byakugan, and the sincerity in his eyes floored her. She felt herself softening toward him, and a small smile found her lips. Could her one night with him have matter that much to him? They had done nothing more than kiss before sitting quietly until the sun came up, but it was a time she would never forget either.

"Thank you, by the way." she said softly.

"For what?"

"For staying with me until my teammates came looking for me."

"I don't know what you're talking about." But the grin on his face told her he was lying.

Movement on the edge of her vision caught her attention, and she quickly recognized the chakra and shape of her team leader. She didn't know what possessed her to say anything, but the warning was out of her mouth before she could stop it.

"Sakura's coming."

His dark chuckle reverberated in her ear. "I'd better make this quick then."

Hinata tensed, waiting for the blow that would end her life. Instead she was spun around and forced backwards until a tree stopped the disconcerting motion. Her hands were freed an instant before Kisame captured her waist, picking her up with ease as he pinned her against him. Struggling not to slip, her legs came around his hips in a tight grip as her hands wrapped around his neck. Before she had time to think about the implications of the position, his lips found hers in a hungry kiss and her world spun to a halt.

Kisame growled low in his throat as she clung to him. He could taste the tang of her blood on her lips, and that sent excitement roaring through him. His tongue swept the red moisture away before he pressed her for more. Her hands tightened on him as she complied, and her eager tongue met his. He let her have dominance, enjoying her exploration as his fingers tightened under the wave of ecstasy rolling through him. Her aggression was surprising, considering her timid nature, and he took pride in knowing that little fact about her.

All too soon he could hear the pink haired kunoichi closing in on them. With a muttered curse he pulled back before his head fell to her neck to leave a bruising kiss on the tender flesh, marking her as his for the world to see. She let out a pleasured gasp, her eyes squeezing tightly closed as she arched against him. He pulled back to rest his forehead against hers, the cold metal of his protector a shock on her skin.

"When this is over, I'm coming for you." he whispered before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

He never looked back as he made his way to the rendezvous point they had set up before the mission. Licking the taste of her from his lips, he smirked. Itachi would be pleased with his restraint. The few times he spoke about their battles, he always chided Kisame on his unnecessary violence. This time he had to agree. When it came to Hinata, it was much better to be a lover than a fighter...

Hinata opened her eyes to see Sakura coming into view, blood spattered across the front of her vest. When she saw her lying against the tree, she broke into a run until she dropped down at her side.

"Hinata, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." she replied shakily. "Where are the others?"

"I'm here!" called Tenten seconds before she dropped to the ground from the branches above. She was out of breath from running, sweat beading on her forehead. "The caravan is gone, and the survivors have fled. What should we do, Sakura?"

"Let's get back to it, and see what's left. The others might return, and they'll need protection until we reach the next village. And we need to find Ino."

The smoking ruin of wood and metal greeted the women as they returned to the road. Sakura was dismayed to see that Hidan's body was gone, no doubt taken by his comrades. The braver civilians were back, gathering the bodies of the fallen and tending the couple of horses that broke free of their wagons before they exploded. Sakura had just ordered Tenten and Hinata to stay and help while she looked for Ino when the blonde kunoichi limped out of the woods, one hand holding her torso. She looked like she had been crying, her hair disheveled and her clothes covered in dust.

Sakura ran over to her, but she just held up a hand to stop her. "I'm alright, Forehead. Let's just get these people to safety so we can go home. After this I'm taking a trip to a hot spring and never coming back out."

Sakura gave her friend a nod and turned back around. A sudden sense of relief washed over her. They had been attacked by the Akatsuki, and miraculously, all of them escaped with their lives. It was sure to be some kind of record. But even that slight victory seemed wrong, especially after the way Hidan had looked at her so tenderly. And she had put a kunai right through his chest. Everyone else seemed to be in a somber and quiet mood as well, one that wouldn't be quelled until long after they'd return to Konoha. For her, it wouldn't quite go away until the first cherry blossoms fell from their branches the following spring…

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"So, what do you think?" Jiraya asked eagerly, leaning across the table, palms splayed across the wood as he waited expectantly for an answer. The toad that had been sitting quietly in front of him hopped out of the way, landing between them before turning his head to give Jiraya a glare for interrupting his peaceful meditation. And the quiet of the room had been perfect for it too.

"Well…" Kakashi trailed off as he set the manuscript down, digging for something truthful to say about the other man's latest work.

"Brilliant, right?"

"Umm… it's…"

Kakashi was saved by the sound of his window sliding open to reveal Naruto perched on the ledge, eyes betraying his curiosity as he gave them a wave.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei, Pervy-sage. Whatcha doin'?"

"Show some respect to your elders!" Jiraya snapped in indignation. It faded as quickly as it came, replaced by the grin he wore moments before. "Kakashi was just about to tell me what he thought about my newest story."

Naruto rolled his eyes as he strode over to the table and snatched the manuscript up. "I'll bet it's just more of your pervertedness…"

Despite his dismissal, he quickly became absorbed in reading the page that lay open on top. His eyes widened before his brow furrowed as a frown marred his face.

"What? Not Hinata! Pervy Sage, how could you?"

"Calm down, Naruto, it's just a story." Kakashi reprimanded, planting a gloved hand on his head.

"But you base all of your writing on your research. So you at least had to have seen her with someone."

At this, Kakashi stared at Jiraya, half in awe, half in dismay. He didn't have time to say anything before Naruto threw the stack of papers back on the table and disappeared out the window.

"Jiraya, does this mean that these stories are…"

Jiraya nodded, a hint of sadistic glee dancing across his brain.

"Sakura…"

Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Jiraya alone with the young toad.

"Master Jiraya, should you have told them that?"

Jiraya slumped back in his chair, arm dangling over the back as he stared out the window. His gaze landed on the Hokage Tower, and a small smile came over his face as a familiar chair came crashing out of a familiar window before falling into the newly repaired concrete below.

"Don't worry so much." he said, suppressing a laugh as Tsunade's tirade reached him from the now broken window. "If the story is real then the love is real, and no one in their right mind would screw that up."


End file.
